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Honduras wary of island threat

2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa: Honduras vs. Puerto Rico preview

Honduran manager Reinaldo Rueda watches during an international friendly match against Paraguay

Wednesday, 2 April 2008

Honduran manager Reinaldo Rueda watches during an
international friendly match against Paraguay on February 6, 2008
at the Olimpic Metropolitan Stadium in San Pedro Sula, 240 kms to
the north of the capital Tegucigalpa. AFP PHOTO/Orlando
SIERRA

This Wednesday the North, Central American and Caribbean Zone
will play host to a genuine David v Goliath clash, when Honduras
welcome Puerto Rico in San Pedro Sula. Though
Los Catrachos are heavy favourites to win the tie,
Los Boricuas are well capable of springing a surprise.

With their national team a perennial force on
the CONCACAF scene, many Honduran fans rate the current squad as
the most talented in their country's history. Boasting the
likes of Inter Milan striker David Suazo and Genoa midfielder Julio
Cesar de Leon, the
Albiazules' faithful will be confident their side can
build a comfortable advantage ahead of the return leg in Puerto
Rico.

"We can't get carried away"
With that aim in mind, Honduras coach Reinaldo Rueda believes
that patience will be key to a successful first-leg result.
"We need to be prepared for any situation, even if it's
still 0-0 at half-time," says the experienced Colombian
strategist. "Puerto Rico are demanding opponents, they are
disciplined, athletic and compete for every ball."

The respected tactician also took the opportunity to warn
against the wave of overconfidence that has swept through several
sections of the local media. "I just don't understand it:
they're taking this situation for granted but nobody in
Honduras has seen Puerto Rico play, nor have they been following
their progress or watched videos of them," says Rueda.
"For that reason, I don't know why they are saying we
should win comfortably."

Julio Cesar de Leon, one of the
Catrachos' most influential players, echoed his
coach's thoughts. "We're in relaxed mood and hoping to
improve on our past mistakes. We can't wait to take on Puerto
Rico, but we mustn't get carried away by the public
euphoria," warned the Serie A veteran. "We need to be
realistic and keep working hard, we need to respect our opponents
and stop talking about emphatic wins."

That said, Honduran fans would claim their confidence is more
than justified by the national team's record at the Estadio
Olimpico in San Pedro Sula. The stadium was the scene for several
of the
Catrachos' most glorious victories, including
comfortable successes over El Salvador, Nicaragua and a 3-1 win
over CONCACAF heavyweights Mexico in 2001.

In a unique position to offer insight on the visiting
Boricuas is Honduras midfielder Ramon Nunez, who
worked under current Puerto Rico supremo Colin Clarke in the United
States. "He was my coach at Dallas back in 2004, and he's
particularly good at setting out his teams tactically," says
Nunez. "They'll be well positioned out on the pitch and
we'll only be able to make enough space to break them down by
moving the ball about."

On the way up
One thing is certain, Puerto Rico must not be underestimated.
Though they may lie several notches below Wednesday's hosts in
the regional hierarchy, the fact that most of their side play
together every week for US second-tier outfit Puerto Rico Islanders
can only work in their favour.

The national side can also count on a number of up-and-coming
talents playing college football in the USA, while the recent
launch of the country's first professional league should, in
time, start producing a steady flow of new players. Unfortunately,
the Puerto Rico Islanders' contingent aside, many of the
current
Boricua squad have spent very little time together.

Indeed, some players only met for the first time after
touching down at San Pedro Sula airport, though defender
Christopher Gores remains positive. "We don't know too
much about Honduras, though we do know that they are a very strong
team," says Gores. "I couldn't tell you what a
'good' result would be, but our aim is to put in the best
performance possible."

The second leg of this clash, part of stage two of CONCACAF
qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ South Africa, will take
place on 14 June in the Puerto Rican capital San Juan.